More Than She Can Chew | Book Two ✔

Chapter Twenty-Five

"Why would I be-" she paused and sighed. "The point is, it's a bit ridiculous. Haven't you noticed any of this?" Her hands rose in the air as the volume of her voice increased.

She didn't care if Adele heard now.

Noah smirked, then finally looked up at her. "I have noticed. You're right. I'll make sure it's resolved immediately."

He reached for her report on the corner of his desk, chuckling.

"Why are you laughing?" she asked.

"Because, I find a woman who speaks her mind very attractive."

Her face flushed as she turned around and rushed out of his office. What was his problem? Why would he say that, she wondered.

Adele was facing her desk and the rest of the office, but it was obvious she had heard their conversation because her desk was a good five feet to the left of Noah's office door. Alissa rolled her eyes as she headed back to her cubicle.

When she returned, she saw Hwan with his head in his hands.

"Are you okay?" she asked.

"No." Hwan raised his head and looked at her, "I dropped the pile of tracking analytics you've been working on all week and now they're out of order. I'm not sure what the correct order is and I don't have time for this. I have like twenty people to call."

"Don't worry. I got this. You make the calls, I'll organize the papers."

Hwan sighed, "Thank you, Alissa. I'm really sorry."

"Hey, it's fine. It happens."

~~~

It was nearing the end of the day and Alissa had just finished organizing the papers, but she still had her other duties to do before the weekend. She sighed as she knew she'd be staying late. Around 6 o'clock, her stomach was growling so loud, she couldn't concentrate.

She headed towards the cafeteria hoping someone might have left something in the fridge. When she walked in she saw Noah sitting at a table, eating an apple.

He looked up at her and smiled, "Hey, I didn't know you were staying late today."

She just nodded, not wanting to give the reason why she was staying late. It was a stupid reason, anyway.

She walked over to the stainless steel fridge. It was pretty much empty, but there was one other apple in the fruit drawer. She grabbed it then turned around, heading back to her desk.

"Why don't you stay and sit with me for a bit?"

She turned back around and creased her lips together, "Okay."

She sat down next to him as she rubbed her apple clean against her black cardigan. The metal seat was cold as it touched her exposed thigh of her black skirt that raised from sitting down. She shivered as she pulled her skirt down a bit.

"So, where are you from originally?" he asked as he leaned his elbow against the table and rested his head in his hand.

"New York. What about you?" She took a bite of her apple.

"Oh, so this weather isn't anything new to you, then. I'm from Miami. The change in temperature is still a bit much to get used to. I only just moved here for this job. I'm just glad spring is on its way, then summer."

Alissa smiled, "Yeah, I love summer."

"I bet you were one of those kids who went to summer camp in the mountains and hated it with all the bugs and dirt." He smirked.

She chuckled. "No, actually. Well," she paused, "so I did go to summer camp as a kid, but I loved it. So much so that when I turned thirteen, I ended up being the camp lifeguard, and then when I was sixteen, I became the lifeguard on the weekends too for the rest of the town."

Alissa thought back to those summer days by the Great Sacandaga Lake. The kids laughing and screaming as they ran along the beach and jumped off the dock, the cicadas hissing in the summer heat, and the first time she saved someone by performing CPR. She sighed and lightly smiled.

Noah stared deep into her brown eyes as she reminisced. "You must miss it."

"Yes, and no. I've always wanted to get out of that small town and chase my dreams in a big city."

"And are you chasing your dreams in a big city?" He smiled.

She returned the smile, "Yes. So what about you? Why'd you move to a place so cold when you're used to a place so hot?"

She took the last bite of her apple.

"Well, I had a partner back in Miami. We ran our own marketing firm together, but then a buyer came in and my partner wanted to go through with it. I didn't. We ended up not on the best of terms, so when I saw this job offer, while it was a step down from co-CEO, head director of marketing of an even larger firm wasn't such a bad thing, so I took it." Noah grimaced as he took aim and tossed his apple core into the closest trashcan.

"Nice one," she said.

"So what's your dream, Alissa?"

She gulped, "Well, honestly?"

He nodded as he leaned closer to her.

"To head my own firm one day." She bit her lip and quickly looked to the linoleum floor then back up at his brown eyes.

Noah smiled, "Oh, really? Well, it looks like I might have just found my next business partner."

Alissa's stomach plunged.

He smirked, "A woman with high aspirations is extremely sexy to me."

She gulped as his knee brushed her bare one.

"It is?" she asked as she leaned closer to him.

Being in such close proximity to Noah, Alissa could smell his cologne, thick and musky, which reminded her of the pine forest at Great Sacandaga Lake.

Most of the men she had dated were usually intimidated by her dreams. Most assumed her dreams for power and control also applied to her love life. While they weren't exactly wrong, they weren't exactly right either. Those that weren't intimidated by her high aspirations usually didn't stay around for long, because they usually ended up following her around like a lost puppy. She wanted a man who didn't just encourage her dreams and wasn't intimidated by her, but also a man who had his own set of dreams and could be independent without her. She wanted a strong man who could hold his own, just as she could. Someone like Noah.

He leaned towards her and caressed her cheek with his large hand. "Yes," he whispered as he looked into her eyes.

Her heart was beating a mile a minute as she leaned closer to him. Just as their lips were about to brush, Alissa's stomach loudly growled. She pulled away quickly, her cheeks flushed.

What am I doing, she thought. What was she thinking, someone like Noah? Trevor was independent and encouraging. He was there for her. Plus, she was pretty sure his feelings for her were more than they seemed. She couldn't do this to Trevor.

Noah grinned, "Come on. Let me treat you to dinner. You've worked so hard this week and an apple isn't that great of a meal."

"Uh," Alissa raised her palms up to face him. "No, that's okay. I still haven't finished what I was working on and-"

"Come on, Alissa. It's just dinner." He smirked at her, "It's not like it's a date or anything."

"Th-that's not what I was saying," she stuttered.

"Good, then get your coat and let's go. I'm starving."

~~~

A/N: Alissa! What are you doing? What about Trevor? Or should she forget about him and see where things go with Noah? Let me know what you think and please vote if you enjoyed this chapter!